Wheel.



' m5870008. PATENTBD Nov.12, 1,907.'

- o.ADAMs-RANDALL.

WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB, 21, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Noqavonos.' PATENTED Nov, 12,1907. f c. ADAMS-RANDALL.

WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED FBBfRl, i906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. w mummmlmfrma A? 7 Zarv www -zzandza MW u/Jf:

' f ...not 370,708.

CHARLES ADAMS-RANDALL, or NEW YORK, N. Y,

WHEEL.,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application iiled February 21,1906. Serial No. 362.311

' To itil-:whom itmay concern:

" Be -it known that I, Cuantas ADAMS-RANDALL, a

` -fcitizen of the Unitedv States, residing at New York, in

the county of New York and State of New York, have .invented new and'useful Improvements'in Wheels, of -which the following is a specification.

, A.This invention relates to wheels for automobilesand I the like,selfpropelled cars, `and vehicles generally. l

In tlieconstructin of self-propelled and other vehicles, it 'has been found necessary and convenient to have'resilient or elastically cushioned wheels to prevent excessivejolting `to the occupants of the vehicle,

i andinjury to, and'derangement of the working parts,

and unduewear 'and tear of such parts. Heretofore, for this purpose it has been customary touse pneumatic tires secured upon the rims of the wheels of the vehicle. These pneumatic tires have been found exceedingly costly, cumbersome, unsightly, unsatisfactory, and require continuous repair to, maintain the same in practical condition, and aside froml their structural deficiencies such form of tire has been found danl gerous in view of puncturing, bursting, and disengagement. thereof from the wheel when moving at a high rate of speed, and many accidents, frequently fatal, `have occurred bythe use of such iorm o fl tire.

The object of the present invention is to. overcome .fthe several objections. noted with respect to cushion y, tires as now commonly used, and to produce a novel, cheap, ,reliable and safe resilient wheel to be used in portion or rim, with intermediary means for joining the l two `parts so that they will revolve together practically asone solid wheel.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a transverse ver- `tical section of a wheel embodying the features 'of the invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of a portion of the form ofthe wheel shown by Fig.

wheel.. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of a modified form oi the wheel. Fig. 4 is a sid'e elevation of a portion of the wheel shown by Fig, 3 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a portion of the wheel applied, Fig. 6 isa longitudinal vertical section of a portiorrof the wheel showing a further modification. Fig. 7 is a d etailplan ,view of a` spring adapted to be used in the 6, illustrating a still further modification.

Similar 'numerals oi reference are employed to indicatelcorresponding parts inthe several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an axle `upon which is iitted, rigidly or loosely, the

the numeral 1 represents` central portion, body or hub 2, having an outwardly' projectingflange 2a in which tapering seats 3 are formed and open out through the periphery of said flange. In the seats 3 the inner reduced extremities of suitable coil springs 4 are held, the outer ends or extremities of said' springs being fitted in seats 5 formed in the inner surface of the outer portion or rim 6 of the wheel. lAs many of these springs are axially arranged around the Wheel as may be required, and acbording to the resilient force that may be necessary to sustain the rim and the wheel as an entirety in normal position and support the entire weight of a vehicle and its load without any material compression of the springs. It is preferred that as many of these springs as may be arranged around the'circumierenc'e of the wheel be used to arrive at the result sought, or to obtain greater resiliency 'and without imposing the least undue strain on'any single spring. These springs yield to any increased external pressure because of the wheel coming in contact with or passing 'over obstacles or irregularities of a rough roadway, thus preventing excessive jolting to the occupants of the vehicle and injury by vibration of the Working parts of a motor or other portions of the vehicle.

The improved Wheel may be made of any suitable material having sufficient strength. The outer portion of the rim may have a suitable metal or rubber tire? secured thereon.

The normal relative position of the hub 2 and the rim 6, as before indicated, is maintained by the normal tension upon the springs, and the side contacts of the springs in the outer and inner seats in which they are held serve to cause the hub and rim of the wheel to revolve together, or, in other words, the wheel is practically a solid structure.

The 'two mais parts of the wheel are also loosely joined together by means of annular side plates 8---8l secured to the rim 6 by means of suitable bolts, screws, or otherwise, as at 9. These plates bear with more or less friction upon the side surface oi the flange or spokes of the hub, and are provided at their inner ends with inwardly projecting right angled annular {ianges lO--lOEl which movably fit in annular recesses ll--lla provided in the opposite sides of the ange 2 adjacent to the hub. When the springs are compressed, the side plates 8--8a move to and. from the axle in proportion to the Compression of the springs, but under all conditions the said movement is limited to the length of the recesses ll-ll, thus preventing undue tension the side plates 8--88 in normal movable position and Aspokes 16 may be made 2?: sesgos to take up any undue side strain thereon. These The springs. as shown by Figa 6. will have their ends retaining plates also serve to protect of the Wheel from dust and dirt and by the addition of a suitable cover of rubber or leather, as at '14. secured to the outer ledge of the.- plates 1242", the 'Wheel is made both dust and Waterproof. I

The side plates may be of east or pressed stoel. or some instances inay have corruother metal7 and in gated surfaces to resemble the' spokes of an ordinary embellished by paint Wheel, or be flat on the side and to represent a Wheel having. spokes. This is a merc matter of design in' detail structurel.: and' it is obvious that it maybe modified.

In the form of the Wheel shown vby the main mem bersare essentially the saine, and co1nprise a hub l5 having an outwardly projecting flange 16, which may be cut or cast to forni spokes 16, as clearly shown by Figs. sand 5, 'and secured to or forming a part of' the outer terminals of the spokes is an annular .member or rim 17 in which a plurality of seats 1S are provided.' Ii preferred, the hub 15 and in the usual Way in wheel construction, or'in the manner of the Well knoWn.a1tillery Wheeland provided with a suitable rim. The outer part of this modied form oi' the wheel consists oi av rim 19 with a plurality of seats 20 on the inner surface thereof to aline with-the seats 18, and terminally held in the said seats around the Wheel are aseries oi' springs 2l. Secured to the l movable therewithA are. cover or shield platesfZ/, which have at their inner ends inwardly projecting annular flanges 23, which movably embrace the spokes 16.

ln- Wheels of 'this class it is of greatest importance that the independent main portions vof the, Wheel should move axially together Without undue lost mo'- in a forward or backward direc- As shown herein, the helical springs resting at their terminals in suitable seats provided therefor, act by side contact or pressure, front and back, to carry the two parts of the Wheel axially together. Other means, however, have been provided to accomplish this result, said means being used independently or as an auxiliary means cooperating with the springs. One means, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4, consists of aswiveled link 24 loosely secured to the outer and inner rims or portions the Wheel', at or moreei such links being preferably used, and iuclosed Within the cover or plate 22, as shown by F ig. 3. As shown by Figs. 5 and 6. the seats formed in the rim and the member or rim 16 or the similar seat, structures; as lshown. by Figs. 1 and 2, may be modified by providing the outer .portion or edge of the hub flange or rim with a coninuous or circumferential groove, 241. and the inner portions of the rim 19 with a continuous groove or seat 25 and centrallysecuring flat springs 27 at regular 1lei-vals Within the groove `24 and projecting the @nds oi said springs into the groove 26.

shown by Fig. 7, athe fiat springs 27 may be formed With end slots 28, through which pins 29 secured to or Carried by the rim 19 project, thus permitting each oi tion the springs to have free play without liability oi dis- .l A connection or disarrangeinontwith respect to therin'i,

the main parts Figs. 3. 4, and 5,

opposite sides 'of the rim 19 andf regular. intervals apart, tWo.

at the outer portion oi the flange' l l i l l l l secured in any suitable manner tothe rim to cause the hub and its flange and rim to revolve. and in the construction shown by 7 the huband its flange and the rim will also revolve together, but will have more libertyas to movement. in view of the provision of the slots 28.

In some structures it is also proposed to apply"the links or connecting rods 24 on both sides of the Wheel,

which would be. an obvious expedient, and said links may be composed of two parts, centrally connected or pivoted to permit greater freedombf action of the springs. Theiorm of wheel shownby Figs. 3, 4, 5,

and 6 may also be provided with a solid rubber oroth'er tire lor obtaining greater traction between the rim and the ground, andalso for producing increased resiliency and to render the latter noiseless.

' From the foregoing. it will be observed thatthe principle involved in the Wheel as disclosed 'by the several lforms is. to have the rim movable with respect tothe hub, lor tholatter shiitable inrelation to the'rim, and

.to interpose between the outer rim, and the rim of the hub and spoke portion -oi the Wheel, resilient means to'absorb jolts` jarring or excessive vibrations which otherwise would be transmitted to the body'oi the vehicle and the occupants of' the same, and to prevent injuryto the mechanism carried thereby and used therewith, combined with ine-ans for joining the independent outer and iunorportions of thewheel by a loose mechanical connection, that causes the two parts tomove axially together with a minimum degree of lost 'motion or backlash. with freedom of movement -to and from each other. Having thus described 'the invention, what 'is claimed. is: f l

1. In :1 wheel, the combination o f a hubV andspoke portion,thelatter having :i rim to which the outer ends of the spokes are'secured 'and also provided witlrseats, an outer independent tre'porrion also provided with seatsoir posite those in the rim ot' the spoke portion.v resilient means interposed between the rim and tire 'and terminally held lin the' seats, and devices secured t'o the tire portion and embracing' and {reel}` movable over the opposite sides of tl1e\spoke portion and nclesing the rim of the said spoke portion.

In a wheel, che combination of a hub and spoke portion having a rim to which,v the, outer ends of the spokes are secured and provided with seats arranged closely together, :in outer h3' an intervening-space, resilient means interposed'be-4 tween the inner and outer rims and held terminally in the said seats, annulzu` sides or covers secured vto the -outer rim and vmovable therewith and inclosing the resilient nieans,and loose mechanical connecting devices secured to the outer and inner rims and operative thereby.

lIl. ln a wheel the combination of a hubiand spoke por'- tion or section havingu rim to which the outer ends of the spokes are secured, and provided with seats arranged closely together side h v side. an outer lim'epemlent rini and tire portion also provided with correspondin;r seats und separated from the inner rim by an intervening, space, resilient means interposed between the inner and outer r'iu and hold ir the said seats. annular sides .or covers secured to the ou'ler rin. and movable with the lutter and inclosin'g the resilient menus, und a swveled connecting,- liuk loosely secured respectively at 'each end to the outer and inner rims.

-1. In n wheel, the combination el a hub having u periphthe resilient means und' independent rim and tire portion also provided with corresponding seats and'separated from the innerv rim' sro'os erallannular member provided with seatsarranged closely f'ogeth'er side by `s'ide, 'an'independent {outer rim surrounding-tine h'uhportioii nd also provided with seats in its inl 11er circumferential surface opposite `the seats formed in ithe hub portion, said rim vbeiiigrl'ield lin normal pesition by. resilient devices interposed between the same and the I.' "hub portion and terminally held within theseats, cover dev'ices or side plates secured to the outer rim andmovable yltiierewitix and also movabiy embracing tige opposite sides of the hbportion of the wheel, and a svviveled iink'devloe se"'1 0 cured at its terminals to the ou'ter'xim and @lie-hub I respectively. l I In testimony whereof I havezphereunto set my hand-in' presence of two subscribing witnesses.- l y CHARLES ADAMS-RANDALL;

Witnesses:

D. D. IiovEnAcE,

C. S. RxcnMAN. 

